Masquerade’s Oliver! The Musical follows a long list of similarly spectacular largescale productions that included Mamma Mia The Musical and My Fair Lady (FM Theatre). I’m of an age where I remember the days that the idea of staging a full musical in Malta was ludicrous. We have had many, so many, excerpts with the most well-known pieces. But the real deal with costumes, orchestra and all? Can’t be done, all local theatre would have told you with 100% confidence.
Happily, things started moving in the right direction in the early noughties and the Malta theatre scene is all the better for it. Masquerade’s Oliver! The Musical, staged at the Mediterranean Conference Centre (where else, really?) is another gem of a local production, proving that – with the right budget, direction and production company backing it – there’s no such thing as a no-can-do anymore, locally. With a running time of two hours and 10 minutes (plus interval) this production was a real spectacle, giving the audience its full money’s worth with plenty of singing, dancing, stamping and obvious enjoyment all around. In short, it was a blast.
Even better, the entire cast and crew was sourced locally. This small fact adds considerable attraction for me, especially considering that this is a musical with so many young actors who will probably constitute the next generation of Maltese performers. And they all shine bright, even as part of a group choreography. Oliver is played by Matthias Zarb and Jamie Sciberras – when I viewed the production, Sciberras was in the role, and his approach was as professional as that of an artist who has seen decades on stage.
At one point, one of the youngest dancers lost a boot during one of the more energetic dances. Everyone else skirted around it skittishly, but not this Oliver. This Oliver jauntily swooped in and threw it back to its owner, incorporating it within the choreography without missing a beat. I can see great things for this young artist in the future. His rendition of Where Is Love? had the entire audience silent – no mean feat, as the MCC seems to bring out the worst in people in this respect.
Various other local names give a standout performance. Dorothy Bezzina’s Nancy is a tour-de-force, that amazing voice of hers giving us shivers – her As Long As He Needs Me brought the house down. Thomas Camilleri successfully channels his inner Captain Jack Sparrow to bring us a surprisingly endearing Fagin, giving us a fun-imbued You’ve Got To Pick A Pocket Or Two.
Mikhail Basmadjian nails Bill Sykes’ complex character, adding a touch of humanity to the brutality. Kateriana Fenech is suitably annoying and amusing in equal measures as the Widow Corney/Mrs Bumble, entertainingly complemented by Mr Bumble (Cliff Zammit Stevens). And the unmistakeable Paul Portelli takes on the roles of Mr Sowerberry and Mr Brownlow, managing the two contrasting characters with ease.
From the moment the unmistakeable notes of Food, Glorious Food, by the workshouse kids, chimes in for the introduction, Masquerade’s Oliver! The Musical keeps us immersed in Disckensian London. All the classics came to life beautifully – from Consider Yourself by Oliver and The Artful Dodger (also a strong performance by Gianluca Cilia) to Reviewing The Situation.
Romualdo Moretti’s set ingeniously creates a London with efficiently moving parts that are delivered smoothly. I also did enjoy the view into the orchestra pit, with Kris Spiteri as musical director. The success of Oliver! The Musical very much hinges on Spiteri, given that the music is an integral part, and on the direction of anthony bezzina. Both rose to the occasion beautifully, turning this into one of those productions that will be talked about in the history of Malta’s musical theatre.
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